Following the blackouts seen in Spain and Portugal this week, new analysis suggests that electric cars could power homes.
Electric vehicles could be used as a backup power source during blackouts and could be a potential solution.
The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) analysis found that 60% of the charge from an electric vehicle could provide five days or power in Spain and here in the UK a home could be powered for up to six days.
The backup power is known as vehicle-to-grid (V2G) or vehicle-to-home (V2H), this allows the EV to send power to homes by using bi-directional chargers, and if charging your EV at night when electricity is cheaper the vehicle owner could sell the power back during peak hours, GB News reported.
Colin Walker, Head of Transport at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said, “As well as reducing emissions and saving their owners hundreds of pounds in running costs, EVs are also capable of adding resilience to their owners’ homes.
“More and more EVs are arriving on the market that are capable of returning power to the home. In an unprecedented blackout like the one we just saw in Spain, these EVs will allow people to keep their lights on, their fridges cold and their wireless routers running for days.
“The benefits don’t just stop there. Owners of V2G-capable EVs will also be able to charge their cars when electricity is cheap, and sell it back to the grid when demand is higher, earning them hundreds of pounds a year.”
